1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a seat for a vehicle, preferably to a vehicle seat which slides with respect to a floor of the vehicle, and which is equipped with a seat position detector. More specifically, the present invention relates to a seat position detection unit, which measures the position of the seat.
2. Description of Relevant Art
As an example of a seat position detection unit, the seat position detection unit disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,053,529 can be cited.
The seat position detection unit disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,053,529 has a stationary rail, which is fixed to a floor of a vehicle, and a movable rail, which is attached to a seat of the vehicle and is put together with the stationary rail so that the movable rail (seat) is allowed to slide along the stationary rail.
In this seat position detection unit, a magnetometric sensor is provided on the stationary rail, and a detecting object that can be detected by the magnetometric sensor is provided on the movable rail.
In this seat position detection unit, the magnetometric sensor detects that the seat is positioning at the previously established position by detecting the detecting object, which is moved toward the magnetometric sensor when the seat is slid with respect to the floor. In other words, the magnetometric sensor detects whether the seat is positioning at the prescribed position by detecting the detecting object using the magnetometric sensor when the seat is slid with respect to a floor of the vehicle.
In this seat position detection unit, a more improved positional accuracy between the magnetometric sensor and the floor of the vehicle is required in order to detect whether the seat is positioning at the prescribed position with accuracy. To be more precise, the detecting object has to be provided on the stationary rail with superior positional and locational accuracy.
That is, not only the positioning of the stationary rail to the floor but also the arrangement of the magnetometric sensor to the stationary rail had to be performed with accuracy. Therefore, the assembling of the seat position detection unit requires more working hours in order to perform theses operations with accuracy. Thus, the workability of the assembling has been made complicated.
In this seat position detection unit, additionally, a bracket for fixing the stationary rail to the floor and a support member for mounting the magnetometric sensor to the stationary rail are separately provided. Thus, in this seat position detection unit, the accurate positioning of the bracket and the support member had to be performed with fastidious care. Thereby, the workability of the assembling of the seat position detection unit has further been complicated.
Therefore, the seat position detection unit, which can easily be assembled, and which can accurately measure whether the seat is positioning at the prescribed position, has been required.